I study the impact of intestinal microflora on two important developmental processes in the rabbit: gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) development and primary antibody repertoire diversification. We’ve found that both processes are dependent on particular members of the intestinal microflora. I hypothesize that bacterial species that can drive GALT development induce the expression of chemokines and cytokines that attract B cells and promote B cell proliferation. I’m testing this hypothesis by studying chemokine and cytokine expression during bacterially-induced GALT development in a ligated appendix model developed in our laboratory.